MESA, AZ — A convicted sex offender who spent years on the run is facing new charges after police say he posed as a licensed contractor to defraud Mesa homeowners out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Edward Carr, who authorities say used multiple aliases including "Bryan Jones," allegedly targeted residents on Facebook, demanding massive upfront payments for home renovations that were left unfinished or severely damaged.
One Mesa homeowner who spoke to ABC15 posted on Facebook last year that they were looking for a licensed contractor to build a back porch. Carr responded, claiming to be licensed, and brought crews to the home. Without completing the initial project, Carr convinced the homeowner that additional work was needed, including a new roof and bathroom.
"He said that this was wrong, that was wrong, and you know, convinced us that we needed a new roof, so we had to get new roofs," the homeowner said. "He kept on starting job after job.”
Court documents show the homeowner ultimately paid more than $233,000. The victim was left with damaged air conditioning lines, incorrect flooring, and a commercial dumpster sitting in the driveway that Carr never paid for. And that dollar figure is just what Carr is believed to have taken or defrauded. It will take thousands more dollars to repair the damage and mess left behind.
The scheme expanded to the neighbors next door, who are in their 70s and 80s. After Carr gave them a verbal estimate for a porch, the couple woke up the next morning to find subcontractors tearing off their roof. They paid more than $38,000, only to have structural support beams removed and roof trusses cut, potentially leaving the home uninhabitable, according to court documents.
Carr also allegedly scammed the workers he hired. Court records say police spoke to nine subcontractors, finding Carr owed more than a combined $67,000 to six of them.
"The guys out here who are working on painting right now. They worked 15 days and didn't get a penny," one subcontractor told ABC15 on Wednesday.
Mesa PD detectives are working on additional cases with other jurisdictions involving Carr, believing there are more victims.
Carr has a lengthy criminal history dating back to an arson conviction in 1999, along with more recent convictions for fraud, theft, and a sex offense. He was released from prison in 2022 and has a history of cutting off his ankle monitor.
"He's a level two sex offender; he'd been on the run for about three years with warrants," Det. Green with Mesa PD told ABC15.
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In Arizona, any contractor doing work for more than $1,000 must be registered with the Registar of Contractors. Police say Carr provided fake Registrar of Contractors numbers to victims, often using the ROC numbers of the subcontractors he is accused of scamming.
"If they don't give their ROC number, red flag. If they are hesitant to give their ROC number, red flag," Green said.
You can look up the registered contractor by clicking here.
Court paperwork said U.S. Marshals arrested Carr in February on outstanding warrants, and he was booked into the Mesa City Jail in March on new charges of fraudulent schemes, theft, forgery, and engaging in contracting without a license. A judge set his secured appearance bond at $250,000.
Police urge anyone who has done business with Carr to contact authorities. And if you are a victim of Carr who’d like to share your story, reach out to ABC15 as well by emailing Consumer@abc15.com or Ford.Hatchett@abc15.com.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
